Current Status of E-Health in Senegal and Perspectives for Development

Amy Sy

Abstract

Improving healthcare delivery is a matter of emergency currently in Senegal. In fact populations do not have access to healthcare as much as they should….With emerging tools for effective healthcare delivery such as the internet of things, telemedicine innovations and e-learning tools, relying on e-health is becoming a necessity to achieve the goals of the Universal Health Coverage (CMU in Senegal). However there is a lack of financial resources and consensus in data standards due to communication issues between healthcare leaders. As such, they usually waste funds received from NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations) on developing a health software product already developed by a different fellow member on non operable health systems under outdated materials….there are many scenarios showing a deep lack of organisation sometimes caused by NGOs themselves motivated by competition, merely jostling for attention, instead of finding solutions to help needy recipients. This paper looks at the status of e-Health in Senegal exploring the efforts the government has put in place in order to digitalise healthcare in Senegal. It also explores e-health systems developed by professionals and perspectives for development. The study is carried through an examination of scientific journals, research papers and exchanges with health professionals through occasional seminars at the Ministry of Health and Social Action (MOHSA). The study seems to reveal that the potential for e-Health growth in Senegal is enormous although it is just at its early stages of development. This is due to the combination of a rapid growth in internet and mobile phone use in Senegal with the introduction of a regulatory unit for the implementation of an strategic e-Health system in Senegal (the Unit of the Sanitary and Social Map, of Digital Health and of the Observatory of Health) known as CSSDOS at the Ministry of Health and Social Action (MOHSA).